Social Interaction Test

The social interaction test by pairs provides a popular and standard paradigm to study general social behavior.

This test consists in allowing the experimental subject freely exploring an unfamiliar congener in its homecage or in a neutral environment. Social exploration is measured by the time spent by the experimental subject around the congener as well as the amount and duration of behaviors that compose social interaction (e.g. sniffing, following, allogrooming, biting, mounting, wrestling…). Social avoidance behavior is used in a wide variety of models, for instance for assessing neophobia anxiety and depression-like behaviors. Therefore, the social interaction test is recommended for studies of ASD, particularly when social approach is intact in animals that are expected to have an autistic phenotype.

Key features: 

• Removable compartment dividers allow using the box for many behavioral paradigms

• Material does not retain odors

• Manual sliding doors

• Optimized for video-tracking systems with non-reflecting material